Marley Spoon Review 2024: Is It Worth the Hype?

Meal Options: Great Variety of Healthy Recipes for Everyone to Enjoy 

Marley Spoon's menu includes lots of nutritious choices tailored to various health needs. You can select from low-carb, low-calorie options, or dishes packed with more than 3 vegetables or over 40 grams of protein per serving.

The menu includes specialised recipes:

• Immunity-Friendly Dishes: Packed with antioxidant-rich vegetables, healthy fats, and essential vitamins to enhance immune health.

• Gut-Friendly Meals: Focus on plant-based, fiber-rich ingredients that include prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive wellness.

• Good Mood Food: Designed to support brain health and encourage the production of serotonin, often known as the "happy hormone".

With the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommending 5 or more servings of vegetables daily, Marley Spoon helps you meet these needs easily. The Healthy tab on the menu highlights these dishes, making them simple to find and incorporate into your meals.

Marley Spoon also caters to families, offering recipes labelled as Family-Friendly and some highlighted as Family Fave, like the Family Fave Peanut Chicken Noodles. These recipes are not only top-rated but also involve meal prep that you can do with your children, making dinner time fun and engaging.

Every recipe on Marley Spoon's menu is reviewed and approved by an in-house dietitian. With additional tags like Nutritious, Low-Calorie, and Low-Carb clearly visible, you have numerous options to support a healthy diet easily.

Upgrade With Premium or Reduce Costs With Savour & Save 

Marley Spoon Australia offers choices for every budget. It has a Premium collection for gourmet dishes with prime ingredients, and Savour & Save recipes for cost-effective meals that maintain flavour.

Marley Spoon’s Premium range features high-quality proteins, such as Porterhouse Steak and Pork Fillet and quick 15-minute recipes using pre-prepped ingredients for convenience. Its Extra Serves options offer more of each meal component, while bundles include a main dish plus a dessert or side.

Marley Spoon's Market offers plenty of pantry staples, and more. You can find premium prepared meals, snacks, desserts, and sides. You can add these to your meal kit order from your account. Just note that Market items aren’t available for delivery in WA.

Customisation Is Super Easy With Marley Spoon

The menu includes tags to help you identify suitable meals. These include dairy free, family-friendly, fast, and no added gluten. If you have sensitivities or allergies to certain ingredients, each recipe lists common allergens, and you can also access the Ingredient Hub for more detailed information.

When you sign up with Marley Spoon, you can set your preferences to tailor the menu to your tastes. This includes selecting your favourite proteins, which helps the service recommend dishes that align with your preferences.

Marley Spoon also offers a "customisable" tag on certain recipes, allowing you to tweak them according to your needs. You can change a protein, upgrade your protein choice, reduce the cooking time, or make substitutions to enhance the healthiness of a dish.

You Will Need to Supply Additional Ingredients 

Some Marley Spoon recipes might ask you to supply additional ingredients. These aren’t included in the meal kit. Typically, they’re pantry staples like oil and salt, but certain dishes, such as the Rice-Free Spicy Miso-Ginger Beef, require more specific items on hand. This means you’ll need to check your pantry beforehand so you’re prepared.

While Marley Spoon’s method is designed to reduce waste by not including these common ingredients, it can be a drawback for some users. If you choose Premium recipes, the requirement to provide additional ingredients can feel like an extra hassle and expense, since you’re already paying extra for these dishes.

Add a Fruit Box for Extra Nutrition

Marley Spoon offers a unique addition to its lineup with the fruit box. This is a selection I’ve not seen with other meal kit services. You can add this fruit box to your weekly recipe delivery, providing a convenient way to incorporate fresh, nutritious snacks into your diet alongside your main meals.

However, the fruit box is not available with your first order. Each box contains 7 different varieties of seasonal, fresh, and locally-sourced fruit. This not only supports local producers but also ensures that you're getting a diverse array of nutrients and flavours each week.

Marley Spoon’s Menu at a Glance 

Unboxing: Recipe Ingredients Are Bundled Together for Ease

Marley Spoon ensures convenience right from the unboxing. Each recipe's ingredients are neatly packed in separate paper bags within the box. To maintain the freshness of chilled items, every box includes a cooler bag and ice packs, keeping everything from dairy to meats in optimal condition during transit.

When it comes to preparing your meals, seafood dishes should be cooked first, ideally within 1-2 days of delivery. Next, use up mince and chicken within 2-3 days, and finally, other meat and vegetable dishes should be prepared within 3-5 days.

Most materials used, including hard plastics and the delivery box, are fully recyclable. The insulation and ice packs can be reused; for example, the non-toxic gel from the ice packs can be emptied onto pot plants to preserve moisture. However, due to the discontinuation of the REDcycle program, soft plastics must now be disposed of in your regular trash.

Cooking with Marley Spoon: Check Out Recipes Before Cooking

Marley Spoon enhances the cooking experience by including images with its recipes, unlike its sister company, Dinnerly. Each recipe box comes with paper copies of the recipes. If you prefer a more digital approach, you can choose to opt out of paper recipes through your account settings and access them online, helping to reduce paper waste.

While Marley Spoon's recipes are structured with just 6 simple steps, each step may include multiple instructions. This could be slightly overwhelming for beginner chefs and might extend the cooking time beyond the estimated time. It’s important for new cooks to allow extra time and read through each step thoroughly before starting.

Before you begin cooking, each recipe card helpfully lists all the pantry staples and cooking utensils you’ll need. This preparation ensures you have everything ready before you start, making the cooking process smoother and more enjoyable. 

Shortlist of My Favourite Meals

Here are my top picks from Marley Spoon’s menu. With such a huge range of dishes, you’re sure to find something to suit the whole family. 

Best Aussie Recipe: Pan-Fried Aussie Barramundi

This dish is complemented by a garden salad and lemon wedges. It’s a quick and easy meal ready in 15-20 minutes. This family-friendly, dairy-free recipe features more than 3 servings of vegetables and offers a healthier, cost-effective alternative to takeout. A microwave is needed for preparation.

Best Family Meal: Family Fave Beef Enchiladas

This Family Fave dish is served with tomato-avo salsa and cheese. It caters to all tastes with a hearty filling of beef mince, carrot, and tomato seasoned with mild Tex-Mex spices. Wrapped in tortillas and topped with bubbling cheese, they come with a chunky avocado, corn, and tomato salsa. Ready in 40-50 minutes, these enchiladas make a satisfying meal.

Best Veggie Meal: Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

This looks like a standout dish with its rich, umami flavours. It uses mushrooms for their meaty texture and combines them with lentils to boost the savoury depth of the meat-free Bolognese sauce. Topped with Parmesan for a satisfying finish, this easy-to-make dish is ready in just 30-40 minutes.

Prices: The More You Order, the Better Value per Dish 

The total cost of your Marley Spoon order can vary based on the recipe choices you make. Opting for Premium recipes will increase the cost, while selecting from the Savour & Save menu can help reduce the price per portion. Adding a Fruit Box or other Market items will also contribute to a higher overall cost.

To make your first order more affordable, you can use our discount code: Up to $220 off through 5 boxes + Free shipping This lowers the cost of the largest meal plan to just $4.99 per meal and includes free shipping. This discount can significantly offset the initial cost, making it a good option for new customers.

The standard shipping fee for Marley Spoon is $10.99 per order. The cost for Market items varies, and the weekly Fruit Box is priced at $24.90, though it’s not available with your first order. Also, you have the flexibility to skip weeks whenever necessary, adding convenience to your meal planning.

Shipping & Delivery: Check Delivery Locations Before Signing Up

Marley Spoon delivers to major cities and surrounding areas. These include Sydney, Wollongong, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Perth, and Darwin, with plans to expand. You can check delivery options for your area by entering your postcode and email on their website.

Deliveries are handled by Home Delivery Services (HDS) using refrigerated vehicles to ensure freshness. Orders are shipped overnight from Marley Spoon’s centres to local hubs, then delivered by HDS. You can manage your delivery dates and orders easily through the Marley Spoon app.

How Marley Spoon Works (Step by Step Guide)

Marley Spoon works as a meal subscription service. It’s easy to sign up in just a few simple steps and you can make any changes or cancel your order easily from your online account.  

How to Sign up (Just 5 Simple Steps)

1. Go to Marley Spoon’s homepage. Click on Choose your meal Kit in the top right of the screen or Start cooking now to begin the signup process.